Your report on the election of Mike Johnson as US House Speaker (October 26) made me think of the expression “the cream always rises to the top”.
The maxim is sometimes used to describe the circumstances where the most accomplished person emerges from the crowd, but it is not always the case.
With an embarrassing display of dysfunction by the Republican majority in the House, starting with Kevin McCarthy’s ousting as Speaker, the fractious GOP rejected a string of Speaker candidates whose ideologies were out of alignment with certain factions within the wider party.
After quashing bids by three prominent House members, Republicans finally settled on Johnson, representative for Louisiana, a known ally of Donald Trump and an active participant in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.
Handing the Speaker’s gavel to a known election denier who opposes providing support to Ukraine, an ally fighting to defend democracy, should send a message to the electorate that in the Republican party, cream is not the only substance that can rise to the top.
Jim Paladino
Tampa, FL, US
